Conecuh County man makes Pine Orchard Pop wine

PINE ORCHARD, Ala. (WSFA) - Kennon Burt has been mixing up something special for decades, but this year will be his last.

Burt’s been growing scuppernongs at his vineyard in Conecuh county for the last 40 years. He uses the fruit to make his own wine, Pine Orchard Pop.

“My friend made it when he had a vineyard down the road,” said Burt. “He passed away a few years ago. I’ve got the recipe up here in my head.”

Making your own wine isn’t easy.

“Main things are scuppernongs, yeast, and sugar,” Burt said.

It starts on the vine.

“You’ve got to pick them, then mash them up,” Burt said. “I take a cooler and make 9 gallons at a time. You put them in there, put the yeast in there and add water, not city water but well water. So then you stir it up and let it sit for 11 days. You have to go out there with a wooden spoon and stir it up like you’re baking a cake.”

He’s made hundreds of gallons of Pine Orchard Pop over the years. He’s never sold a single bottle.

“I just give it to people like you, friends of mine, and customers,” Burt said.

Sadly, Burt says this year will be his last.

“I just can’t get out there and do all the work. It’s a lot of work,” Burt added.

Mister Burt may be out of the wine business, but he’ll still keep busy.

“I can cut grass. I have a fishing pond down there, three acres, so I can go feed the fish,” Burt said.

With no signs of slowing down any time soon, you can bet Mister Burt will stay on the move in the community of Pine Orchard, out along County Road 12 (and yes, he actually does live on County Road 12, which barely ever happens for our stories).

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